Hagoromo's Backup Plan
by Yuna Yami Mouto
Summary: The Six Path Sage, despite his confidence in the reincarnations of his talented sons, decides a little extra help can't hurt. The problem? They need someone who can fight two talented Uchiha at once without getting killed. 'Oh, I know! He'd be perfect' Oneshot, slight SasuNaru, sequal to Why Am I Exceptional?


**Hagoromo's Back Up Plan**

 **Summary: The Six Path Sage, despite his confidence in the reincarnations of his talented sons, decides a little extra help can't hurt. The problem? They need someone who can fight two talented Uchiha at once without getting killed. 'Oh, I know! He'd be perfect!' Oneshot, slight SasuNaru**

 **A/N: Hagoromo decides to bring Itachi, with new set of eyes, back to life to deal with Madara, Obito and Black Zetsu while Naruto and Sasuke seal Kaguya. This is sequel of Why Am I Exceptional, in a way. Hope you enjoy it!**

It was a nightmare. That was the only way one could describe the battlefield the were standing on and all that has happened. Thousands of ninjas from the Shinobi Alliance were dying and they couldn't do anything to stop it. All the Tailed Beasts were taken out of their Jinchuuriki and absorbed by Obito. An entire army - three times bigger than the allied forces of the Five Great Nations and all the smaller villages - of Zetsus stood in their way. Neji was dead. Moral was fast plummeting, especially when Madara arrived at the scene. The Juubi wasn't long in coming after that and there was nothing stopping that thing.

Their hope had risen a bit when the Shodaime, Nidaime, Sandaime and Yondaime suddenly arrived on the scene and sealed the beast away for a while, but Madara soon defeated Hashirama and seriously injured Tobirama, absorbing Hasirama's cells into his body and gaining the power of both Uchihas and of Senjus. The power of the Six Path Sage. He was the Jinchuuriki of the Ten Tails and he had a lot more power with Hashirama's cells. He couldn't die and he was practically revived. He was a man made god and he was rubbing it into their noses.

The Yondaime tried helping them but he ended up losing an arm and Naruto, who had been fighting alongside his father, ended up dying. The moral and hope vanished with his death. Sakura tried everything she could to revive him, to keep him alive, but it was no use. Kurama, the Kyuubi no Yoko, was not there and that alone had sentenced Naruto's death, as a Jinchuuriki dies almost instantly after their biju was extracted. His death left everyone devastated, but they still vowed to stop their enemies or die trying.

A few miles away, Madara had just stabbed Sasuke through the heart with a katana, killing the last - sane - Uchiha and leaving Orochimaru, Kabuto and Team Taka trying to somehow revive him. Karin had given him almost one third of the blood in her right arm but he remained as he was: unmoving, dead. His newfound friends were panicking. They had no one else but Sasuke. Orochimaru might have ended up being alive still, but Sasuke was their leader. He was their friend. He kept Suigetsu and Karin from killing each other and then he kept Jugo from killing them both if he were to lose control. Orochimaru was sad to see his favorite student go and Kabuto - although he will deny it to his dying breath - had grown somewhat fond of the moody, broody Uchiha in the three years they lived under the same roof. He wouldn't have minded seeing the raven go a few months back, but a few moths back he wasn't forced to change his own path by one reanimated Uchiha Itachi.

And while everyone was losing their heads, Sasuke and Naruto had found themselves in front of a certain old man known as the Sage of Six Paths, who was quite pleased to see the reincarnations of his two sons. Madara and Hasirama ahd nothing on Sasuke and Naruto regarding the similarities between themselves and his sons, Indra and Asura. If both were brunets, Sasuke had longer hair and Naruto had dark eyes and lacked his whisker scars, they might even be their identical twins or clones. And their personalities were a match, too.

He had talked to them separately, since he wasn't sure what kind of reaction they would have to such close proximity, in such an intimate setting as the very depths of their souls, after three years of separation and animosity - mostly on Sasuke's part, but he would have expected nothing less from a reincarnation of Indra. But their words clashed their worlds together and they had stared at each other as he told them about their fate and task of protecting the world from his mother's old evil. They never looked away even as he placed seals on their hands and Hagoromo decided Naruto was even more naive than both Asura and Hashirama - despite him being through a lot more hardships that should have left him wary of the world (especially from his treatment as Kurama's Jinchuuriki) - if he didn't notice the way Sasuke was looking at him. Hagoromo knew he shouldn't place too much hopes in the Uchihas Curse of Hatred fading away just like that overnight, but he still couldn't stop himself from hoping that _this_ time, his sons' souls would find contentment. After all, Indra had once been caring and loving towards Asura, before he grew to envy and hate him because Hagoromo chose him over Indra - his elder son and as such should-be rightful heir. Indra had grown power hungry so he could prove just how much of a _better_ choice he was, instead proving quite the opposite. His sons did battle that ended up with a good and a bad result. Asura awakened his own gifts of Mokuton and revealed himself to be an ideal Jinchuuriki, as well as getting even more followers that would gladly go with him through the gates of hell and back. However, Asura lost a part of his spark when, after his defeat, Indra never again made contact with him. He tried to hide how upset he truly was behind a smile but Hagoromo wasn't fooled. His sons -although they both got married and started families, _clans_ of their own - lived out their lives as two lonely individuals, missing the warmth of that person closest to them as one longed for the other, yet the other still hated him. Hagoromo died knowing his decision, while good for the world he was building and for all the people who will live in it, was the worst one he could have made for his sons. His goodbye to his elder son held scorn from the first Sharingan user, which broke Hagoromo's old hearth.

Which is why he had built this dimension between his son's souls, powerful enough to reincarnate over and over again. He lived here to watch over them so he was greatly excited when he saw young Uchiha Madara meeting the even younger Senju Hashirama. Madara had Indra's wild and thick hair, even though his was a midnight black and not the brown hair his elder son had been born with. Hashirama had Asura's hair color and eyes but his hairstyle puzzled Hagoromo, as he _knew_ however carefree Asura may be, he would _never_ content himself with such a ... dorky haircut. Mostly because Indra would refuse to talk with him for the rest of their lives if he did, not wanting to be associated with it in any way possible. Madara found great amusement in teasing the Senju, but Hashirama gave back as good as he got. Until he got depressed - _very_ easily - over something Madara said and the Uchiha stared at him in exasperation. It was the leftover brotherly love Indra had lost for Asura and the remainder of Asura's need for his older brother's absolute approval that Hagoromo had not seen in such a long time and dearly missed. It brought back old memories and he enjoyed watching every second of their interactions. Until they ended up on the battlefield due to the war raging between the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan. Hagoromo thought they were fighting over too stupid things to turn it into a war but he was dead and hated violence while most of the fighters were raised in war and knew of nothing else. He watched as Hashirama lost his elder brother while Madara lost three of his four younger brothers and the two started fighting more earnestly... Until they decided on a truce and started forming a village together. They were friends once again, after many years, and Hagoromo had done a small victory dance in his dimension as he watched them laughing together again. This was a turn in their story that Indra and Asura had unfortunately lacked. But their story was not meant to have a happy ending, either. Their younger brothers distrusted the other clan equally and they tried to make Madara and Hashirama to see it. And then Izuna - Madara's precious little brother - and Tobirama - Hashirama's younger brother - got into a fight that ended with the Uchiha's death. On his deathbed, Izuna gave his eyes to a nearly ind Madara, creating a whole new level of power for the Sharingan - the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Madara never forgave Tobirama and the Senju so he left Konoha, found _Kurama_ , took control of him with his Sharingan and brought him back to have one last fight with Hashirama. Hashirama just barely won with his Mokuton, Kurama was sealed away within Uzumaki Senju Mito - the Uzumaki Clan were also descendants of Asura and had powerful healing and sealing abilities - and Madara was stabbed through with a katana by a very remorseful Hashirama. Madara was thought of dead ever since, but he was just in hiding, watching as his so called family labeled him as a traitor and regarded his son with suspicion. But his son pulled through and Madara lived in secret for a long time. He somehow got his hands on some of Hashirama's DNA and got the Rinnegan - but only very close to his death - so he transplanted his eyes into a young Uzumaki boy by the name of Nagato. Hashirama had already died by then and his friend and rival (and secret life long crush, something Hagoromo still wondered how a genius like Madara never caught on to) followed soon after.

Hagoromo was not pleased with how their story ended, either, so when he felt their souls stirring again, preparing for the right moment to be reborn again - which was getting harder, as only one Senju remained and most of the Uzumaki were dead or too young to have kids - Hagoromo decided he has had enough. He was the Sage of the Six Paths, for crying out loud! If _he_ could not make a fitting ending for the reincarnations of his sons and if _they_ were too stupid, prideful, stubborn or clueless to do it on their own, then he will need _someone else_ to do it. He will need someone who will be able to somehow hold the threads of their bond together (of course, he never actually counted on Naruto so stubbornly holding on to them as he did or Sasuke actually being completely _unable_ to cut them as his predecessors have) and someone who will be smart or wise enough to make those two stop fighting once they start. Because Hagoromo _knew_ it will happen, even if he were to somehow make them Siamese twins. He would also need someone skilled enough to survive their clashes and their own battles. Someone who will command respect when standing completely still. Someone who will be important enough to Indra's reincarnation - as he knew _that's_ where the problem will lie, as Asura's reincarnations loved peace, friendship, love etc - that he would never go against him. In Madara's case, he had given him four younger brothers.

This time, Hagoromo gave Indra's reincarnation an older brother. A genius, freakin' perfect older brother whose achievements will quell some of Indra's natural arrogance. A pacifist and a humble man who Indra's reincarnation will look up to and follow his example. That meant that the hypothetical older brother had to not only be a genius but a hard working person, too. A kind and wise person. Someone who will never fall to the Uchiha Curse of Hatered.

This was going to be harder than Hagoromo initially thought, but he managed and one Uchiha Itachi was born six years before Indra's and Asura's souls were ready to reenter the living world. He would be lying to say he wasn't fascinated with Itachi and his life. The boy was a greater genius than even his mother, Kaguya, could be said to be. In fact, if she didn't have such goddess-like powers, Itachi could probably beat her. Then again, it wasn't even the powers that would be a problem, really, but the difference in chakra levels. Hagoromo was surprised that Itachi's chakra reserves were bellow average. For a moment, he had feared he had failed in this ... _experiment_ , but Itachi was more than aware of his small amounts of chakra and knew how to more than make up for them with absolutely, perfectly astounding chakra control. Hagoromo swore Itachi could go up against some of the Jinchuuriki of his biju. Maybe not Kurama, but most of them yes. Not to mention that the boy had _other_ ways to get to his enemies.

He watched him grow up to the point when Indra's newest reincarnation was born in the form of one Uchiha Sasuke. At first, Hagoromo swore he looked more like Madara's reincarnation than actually being Indra's, but his elder son's chakra was there and as the boy grew, he saw more similarities. Although the boy _did_ take more after his mother, Minoto, who married into the Uchiha clan than his father ... Hagoromo let the similarities of appearances go and focused instead on the boy's behavior. Yep, he was definitely Indra. Obsessed with someone's success and wanting recognition of his ever cold and stoic father, Uchiha Fugaku. If he could, Hagoromo would have taken the cute little Sasuke away from such a man, since it was _bound_ to give the kid issues as he grew older. And it did, indeed, but he wasn't going to let himself think about Indra's and Sasuke's inferiority phobias. He blamed Orochimaru for Sasuke's, but he knew he was mostly the one to blame for Indra's. Hey, it wasn't _his_ fault that he was called the God of Shinobi! Anyway, he watched Sasuke's early childhood and he saw how his plan with Itachi was working! He was so happy that he could have cried (but he _didn't_ , since that would probably just freak his son and his reincarnations out. He _did_ cry when he saw how the reincarnation of his _other_ son and one of his biju were being treated. It got worse when he realized most of the Jinchuuriki were being mistreated but Kurama's Jinchuuriki's suffering really tore at his hear since it was Asura's reincarnation and all), that is, until the Uchiha Clan started talking more avidly and actively about a coup against Konoha's leaders. Until Itachi voluntarily became a double spy. Until he was given the ultimatum of letting his whole clan be killed for treason or doing the killing himself and sparing Sasuke before being hunted like a criminal for stopping a war. Until Sasuke's little heart grew cold and bitter and he shunned _any_ attempts of anyone ever trying to become his friend.

Surprisingly, it was Asura's reincarnation, Uzumaki Naruto - the son of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato and the last surviving adult Uzumaki, Kushina - the most hated boy in the village because he housed the so called Kyuubi no Yoko, that was able to worm his way into that closed off heart. Sasuke, of course, pretended to hate Naruto and vice versa, but the affection, understanding and bond they shared was really too obvious to Hagoromo. He was surprised no one noticed it at all. You would have to be absolutely _blind_ to miss it, yet no one saw it. No one will see it, either, if the two boys don't outright shout it to the world. But since Sasuke won't do that - he definitely had Indra's immense pride - and no one believed Naruto since he was a loudmouth and often times annoying and Sasuke was always cold towards him or fighting with him and calling him names, they will remain oblivious.

Naruto had a very hard life, too. Both his parents died protecting him and sealing Kurama during the Kyuubi's attack on the night he was born. The villagers knew he housed the beast that had killed so many of their loved ones and almost destroyed all of their homes, so they hated him. They shunned, bullied, beat and starved him with every chance they got. The Sandaime tried to prevent this with making it an S-Rank secret that Naruto was the host of the Kyuubi no Yoko, punishable by death should it be revealed, but that only made things worse because kids picked up their parents hatred without having a clue as to why the blond boy was hated. No one helped the poor child and he had to struggle through hardships and loneliness by playing pranks to get some attention. The Hokage and a rare few individuals tried to help, but they just couldn't do enough. He was often teased for the things he couldn't learn fast enough or was struggling to do, none of them realizing that he was completely self taught in most of the things their parents or friends taught them. He trained long and hard, often times nothing but sheer stubbornness keeping him standing upright. He wasn't the brightest of children and needed a more hands-on approach, but he was a willing student and a rather quick study. He wasn't stupid, he just had other ways of approaching things. People often misunderstood that and he wasn't given any credit for anything good that may come out of those methods. He actually made the perfect distraction jutsu but people only saw it as messing around or being rude. When he heard Sasuke was an orphan with no one else in the world, like him, he felt relieved that someone else was like him, there at the edges of society. They made a strange bond that Naruto would cherish forever, as it was the first bond he ever made. He clung to it with all of his might when Sasuke left and in the three years they were apart.

But Sasuke wishes not to acknowledge that bond, even as they stand side by side, staring at each other in the eyes, its sheer power having shattered whatever 'walls' were separating them.

Hagoromo explained the story to them both but he was not surprised that Sasuke had already felt Indra's presence within himself. He didn't know the story but he knew there was something weird about himself. Naruto caught on pretty quickly and they both realized they _had_ to stop the end of the world, the first thing they really agreed on in three years - Hagoromo wasn't counting their mutual thoughts that Orochimaru was a creep, that Kakashi was as perverted as ever and that he himself must be some crazy old man that just wanted to shove more responsibilities down their throats. Or that moment they fought together in the Land of the Sky. The point was, they agreed and Hagoromo had given them his powers, reviving them into the mortal world just as he felt the reappearance and reawakening of his mother. Even with the new powers he had just given them, Hagoromo feared that both her and the two Uchiha they had been fighting up until now, not to mention the Juubi and the army of Zetus, would be too much, so he put his plan B into motion.

Besides, he didn't trust those two to _not_ run off as soon as they win to try and kill each other. Just look at Madara and Hashirama. Friends for years, then they fought on opposite sides in a war, became allies and friends again just to end up fighting as enemies in the end before Madara left and lived in hiding. It was the whole reason he even made that plan B, actually. Because he didn't trust this generation of reincarnations not to royally mess it all up as well.

So he called for Uchiha Itachi, whom he had dragged into his dimension a couple of days after the young man died during his fight against Sasuke. The elder Uchiha brother had actually just finally succumbed to a disease he had been suffering through for the past few years of his life. A rather disappointing end. Hagoromo hated the fact the one who was supposed to watch over the reincarnations of his sons was defeated by a disease, but he couldn't influence it. At least Itachi had made the road for a better future for Konoha by being summoned through Edo Tensei by that freak Kabuto and freeing himself from it before having an interesting chat with Sasuke. That chat put Sasuke back on track and it's probably what lead him to come to try and help against Obito, Madara and the Juubi. One problem solved.

Now he was sending the raven haired man to solve the _other_ problem that was bound to come.

Itachi appeared before him with five people behind him, hidden in the shadows while Itachi stood in the light with the Sage of Six Paths. The old brunet arched an eyebrow when he recognized Uchiha Shisui, Hoshigaki Kisame, Hyuuga Neji, Jiraiya, and Nohara Rin. Uchiha Shisui and Hoshigaki Kisame, he could understand. They were partners to Itachi for many years. Those two probably knew Itachi best. Jiraiya, he could guess was because another of the so called Legendary Sannin wouldn't hurt. The white haired man was a pretty powerful shinobi. Hyuuga Neji, a descendant from Hamura's side of the family, was a talented ninja that had died protecting Naruto and his own cousin just recently. Like, a few hours ago. Rin ... left him a bit stumped. How he got her to grow up to the age she would have been had she not died, Hagoromo will never understand. He guessed Itachi was perhaps trying to get Obito - the guy who had been in love with her and had lost himself to the Curse of Hatred upon her death - to change sides, but he wasn't sure. He hoped Itachi really knew what he was doing, as he had just sent the reincarnation of his sons back into the fight and they will need all the backup they could get and as soon as possible.

Itachi just regarded him with impassive eyes, obviously not at all impressed with the fact that it had to be _him_ that would have to do _Hagoromo's_ dirty work for him. Hagoromo wondered if he should feel offended or not by the fact that Itachi - correctly or not - thought that he lacked the ability to interfere with the fight that was about to take place. His companions, though, were staring at him with shock and awe, although Hoshigaki Kisame somehow didn't appear all that surprised. Hagoromo guessed he was used to _exceptional_ things happening around a person like his old Akatsuki partner.

"Is it time?"

Hagoromo nodded at the Uchiha's question. "My mother, Otsutsuki Kaguya, is waking up. Sasuke and Naruto will be needed to seal her away again. They will need someone else to deal with Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito. As you already know, I chose _you_ for this job."

"You mean you made me." Itachi said with a nod, making the people behind him gawk at them with their eyes wide open and jaws hitting the ground. Hagoromo didn't bother to answer that.

"You better go now. They just met up and it's only a matter of time before she wakes up. And when she does, their current opponents will look like small fry."

"Are you saying there's someone even _stronger_ than Madara and Obito right now?!" An incredulous Neji asked in a shocked and slightly frightened voice. "And you expect _us_ to defeat them?!"

Hagoromo looked at the younger genius like he was stupid as he answered. " _Nooo_. That's up to Sasuke and Naruto. Only _they_ can fight Kaguya. You'll deal with Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito."

"You really must be crazy." Neji said with absolute certainty and Kisame nodded along with him. Jiraiya had crossed his arms and was studying the Sage with acute interest and then he looked over to Rin, who looked confused and worried. "It takes the whole Shinobi Alliance just to hold them _back_. We'll die the second we step into their path."

The old man looked at him now as though he were crazy. "No one ever said anything abut _you lot_ stopping Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito. _That_ is Uchiha Itachi's duty. You are only his backup." He ignored the startled looks Neji and Rin shot the genius Uchiha and instead focused inwards, reaching for the power that will revive the six people in front of him. "I will send you in a mile away from the main battle, just to make sure you don't die immediately. Uchiha Itachi is your team leader, if you must have one. What he says, goes. That is, if you want to survive. After the fight is done, you will be allowed to live out the rest of your lives however you see fit. Good luck."

And with that, before anyone could say anything in protest or questioning, Hagoromo opened his eyes and sent them into the world of the living.

00000

Madara and Obito had been laying in on them with all they've got with their Rinnegan and despite the joined efforts of Naruto and Sasuke to stop them, it all became far too much when a dimension gate opened and a pale woman with almost completely white hair with two horns came out, a Sharingan eye in the center of her forehead while she had two Byakugan eyes and a Rinnegan in each palm. She was beautiful but the aura she gave off was anything but and her eyes burned with hatred when they settled on the two reincarnations. She actually flung the fighting Madara and Hashirama to one side and Obito and Kakashi to the opposite side as she lunged for her grandsons. Sasuke called out his fully body Susanoo and Naruto prepared his Six Path Sage art, but the hit they received sent them flying backwards. Their friends, so relieved to see them alive and well, watched in horrified despair as their two savors were flung around like a couple of dolls and their panic grew when Kaguya appeared right in front of them.

Sasuke made a swipe at her with his Susanno while Naruto made a Rasen Shuriken and sent it at her, but Kaguya easily pushed through the Susanoo while she used Rinnegan to relocate the Rasen Shuriken to almost hit their allies and she extended her arms, reaching for their eyes-

Only to find herself flung away with a single swipe of a hard chakra manifestation widely known as the Yata Mirror. The entire ninja population on the battlefield watched with stunned and horrified awe as the woman broke through several mountains from the swipe before they all looked at the red chakra apparition. Sasuke's, Naruto's and Kabuto's eyes became saucers when they caught sight of the red giant warrior they were all too familiar with. Madara and Obito both looked towards the new Susanoo and the younger of them felt dread fill him when he caught sight of the owner of said red Susanoo as one _very_ unhappy Uchiha Itachi regarded them with s very, _very_ scare Ultimate Uchiha Glare of Unimaginable Pain, Horrors and Death. Kakashi gawked from near Obito while Tobirama bemoaned the appearance of one more Uchiha. Orochimaru flinched away from him while Zetsu and Team Taka gaped at the sight of him, alive and perfectly healthy.

"Nii-san?" Sasuke asked in a shaky voice filled with emotion, feeling like a kid again. It was the only noise on the battlefield as they all stared at the should-be-dead man. "Is that really you?"

"Good to see you again, Sasuke." The elder brother said with a smile directed at the said teen over his shoulder. "You too, Naruto-kun. I must say I am proud of you both. You sure have gotten strong. And I admire your dedication." He looked back to where Kaguya was making her way back towards them and his new style Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan eyes narrowed. "But I'm afraid we will have to talk at length later. Right now, it is up to you two to save this world, Children of Prophecy."

"W-where do you know that name from?" An equally shaky Naruto asked, not able to stop his staring at the back of the older Uchiha brother's head. "And aren't you supposed to be ... dead? Not that I don't want you here." He quickly added when Sasuke turned to glare at him. "Color me curious, dattebayo."

"I am here for the same reason I know your titles." The genius replied as his Susanoo shifted to intercept the incoming attack from Kaguya. Unlike like in Sasuke's case, she couldn't penetrate the shield he used the Yata Mirror as. The woman growled in irritation and pressed harder, but Itachi's Susanoo was just like it's master: perfect and exceptional. The Yata Mirror was impenetrable, the Totsuka Sword could cut anything and everything it cuts is automatically sealed away in a jar his Susanoo carried, forever stuck in a dream like illusionary world that can either be a nightmare or a perfect dream. And Itachi's perfect chakra control makes his Susanoo's armor hard enough that almost nothing can break it. Not even Kaguya can break such an unbeatable perfect defense. Forget Gaara and Shukaku's sand or even the Kyuubi Cloak. With his new Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, the Susanoo he is able to manifest is the strongest defense. And Kaguya knew it. And she was not happy.

"You!" She growled as she pushed away from the Yata Mirror. Itachi arched an eyebrow and Kaguya hissed out her question, yet everyone heard it. "Who are you? _What_ are you!? You are not normal."

"No." A new voice said and the older members of Konoha continued to gawk as Shisui appeared beside Sasuke. Now even Sasuke's jaw was hanging open in shock. Shisui chuckled and threw an arm around his youngest cousin's shoulders before studying Naruto for a while and finally looking back to where Itachi was standing like a wall between them and Kaguya. "He's _exceptional._ "

"Don't even go there." Another voice of a supposedly dead person said and Lee, Naruto, Kakashi, Gai and Tenten joined in the open mouthed staring, along with Yamato and the rest of the Shinobi Alliance. "It's a very sensitive topic for Itachi-san."

"Being told he's exceptional?" A voice from behind Team Gai asked, having heard the explanation and said team, along with the rest of Rookie Nine and Sai turned around to stare at the until-just-now dead Neji, who was staring up at the elder Uchiha brother incredulously. "That's what pisses him off? Not the fact that he's expected to fight off those two lunatics all on his own?! Is he fucking crazy!? He must be! He's crazier than that senile old Sage of Six Paths!"

"Super Jii-chan!?" Naruto yelled in surprise, no longer even bothering with being surprised by the many revivals going on around here. Seeing a revived Itachi and Nagato not so long ago had been surprising. Meeting his father and the other three previous Hokage had been a shock. _These_ revivals were almost old news after Madara became a man again, despite being undead. The most surprising thing so far was that Itachi met the Six Path Sage, too.

"Apparently Itachi-san was created to look after you two or something." Kisame flippantly said, catching the all too happy Samehada that was rushing towards him from wherever it had been. He didn't care. He didn't feel so naked now that he had his trusty sword with him once more. The lacking of his Akatsuki robe - something he had been wearing for almost eight years - was bad enough. He was almost unused to his old jonin attire from the Hidden Mist that he had kept under his robe all those years. Although he had to admit Itachi looked great in his black, short sleeved shirt and standard ninja black pants with his necklace showing. He ignored the added on gawking from _everyone_ , and yes, that _did_ include Madara, Obito, Zetsu and even Kaguya.

"W-what?" Naruto was probably the only one who _could_ talk right now, but there's no surprise there. Naruto can talk almost all the time. "Y-you can't be serious, right?"

Itachi looked at Naruto and sighed. "I'm afraid it is so, Naruto-kun. Hagoromo-san is under the - no doubt correct - assumption that you and Sasuke will follow in your predecessors' footsteps and just end up fighting each other to the death as soon as this fight is over." His eyes then roved over to Sasuke, who shifted uneasily at the pointed look. "And knowing my otouto and your own stubbornness quite well, you two really _will_ run off to kill each other as soon as you finish your business here. So Hagoromo-san made me, as _assurance_ that this time around, his sons' souls won't drift apart, either in enmity or in death. The whole fighting Madara and Obito thing seems to be just an added bonus."

"But you _are_ staying, right, nii-san?" Sasuke asked anxiously as he made to move closer to his brother but Shisui pulled him back when Kaguya - now understanding Itachi's purpose - sent another birrage of attacks at them, but it was no use. The Yata Mirror held strong with no effort on Itachi's part. He wouldn't be able to seal Kaguya and he'd eventually run out of chakra, but right now, he was an immovable object to her unstoppable force. This could go on for a while if Sasuke and Naruto didn't get a move on. "This isn't Edo Tensei?"

"Yes, we are _all_ staying, Sasuke." The raven said as he smiled at his little brother, enjoying the sparkle of happiness and relief that flashed through his brother's eyes. "But we really can speak about this later. Right now, you and Naruto-kun have an important but difficult job in front of you. I'm just the backup plan."

"Then let's get going, teme!" The excited blond said, pumping a fist into his other palm. Sasuke snorted but smirked all the same. Anyone who knew the boy from before he went to Orochimaru gasped as they recognized the word that fell off of those smirking, no longer cold and distant lips.

"Don't get so excited, dobe. This isn't one of our walking the dogs missions." Startled cross like eyes swiveled around to look at him but Sasuke paid them no mind as he wrapped an arm around Naruto's waist, formed his Susanoo and jumped out from behind Itachi just as Kaguya opened a portal to another dimension. The pale arm wrapped tighter around Naruto when he kicked into gear and Kurama's form appeared inside the armor.

A grin split Naruto's face as he waved down to his gawking and startled friends while he and the raven haired boy passed through the portal before it promptly closed. That same grin turned into a blinding smile as he threw his own arms around the Uchiha for a quick but strong hug. "If it's us, it'll be no problem, eh, Sasuke?"

A small, almost invisible smile stretched the pale lips for just a second before it went back to its usual arrogant smirk. "Of course, Naruto. We're the Children of Prophecy. Even though you're an idiot."

"Bastard."

"Dumbass."

"Asshole."

"Moron." They were aware Kaguya was staring at the strangely with a weird expression on her almost alien-like features but she wasn't attacking so they ignored her for a few more minutes while they settled their old debate.

"Jerk."

"Usuratonkachi."

"Teme." There was definitely a happy sparkle in the Sun bearer that Sasuke would be lying if he said he hadn't missed.

"Dobe." And Naruto wouldn't even bother with lying by saying that he hadn't missed his friend's teasing and arrogance. Most would find it annoying. But Naruto knew it was just Sasuke being Sasuke and that was enough.

"Let's do this," they said as one and turned to glare up at their great great great great great great great great grandmother. She glared right back before the first attacks were exchanged.

00000

Back on the battlefield they had just left, Itachi turned his attention back to the other two Uchiha. Obito had the smarts to back away, knowing just how strong Itachi really was and that was when he was slowly dying of some stupid illness. He was healthy now and a lot more powerful with his new Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Obito knew he and Madara were in for a world of pain for everything they had ever done to Sasuke. Be it manipulation or the stabbing through the heart. Madara especially was in for a round of torture that would make hell look like a tourist vacation spot.

But if they fought together and with the army of Zetsus on their side ... Yes, they still had some chances left. So the short haired Uchiha turned to the ancient one. "Let's do this together. We need to be careful. He's a lot stronger than he looks. Beware his eyes. I don't think even Rinnegan can escape his Tsukuyomi. And-"

"I'm not fighting him." It would seem today was the new holiday of Dropping Jaws, as this statement caused everyone's - except the new arrivals (only Neji's jaw dropped there) - jaws to hit the ground again as they stared at Madara as though he were crazy. Well, Tobirama had dubbed him crazy almost a hundred years ago so he shouldn't have been _that_ surprised.

Obito couldn't believe his ears. "Why the blood hell not!?" He asked in a scream, throwing his arms up in the air in a very un-Uchiha-like fashion. Then again, people had often wondered if he really _was_ an Uchiha, what with how he liked sweets and was so bright and open and easygoing. When he got his Sharingan, they just assumed he was always on crack and left it at that. "What, got scared because I said he was strong? He's not _that_ strong! Even his chakra levels are _below_ average!"

Madara blinked at him as though he was stupid. "Well, he _was_ created or chosen or whatever by the Sage of Six Paths for this. _And_ he _had_ just sent that chick packing through a couple of mountain ranges and she's supposed to be practically a goddess or something. But no, _that_ 's not why I won't fight him."

"Then why?!"

"Because he is an older brother." The ancient man said as if it were obvious. "He has a little brother."

"So!?" The incredulous guy asked, staring at his ancestor as if he had just grown a se- no, a _third_ head.

"So I don't want to leave his brother hurt because the lack of his absence." It was, once again, said as if were a normal and all too obvious thing. Obito gaped at him.

"Hashirama is an older brother. That Hyuuga guy is practically an older brother. You had no qualms with killing _them_!" He looked towards th two mentioned and scowled. "Not that they _stayed_ dead or anything."

"Hashirama is my rival and I never really liked Tobirama. They're used to it." Said Senju brothers sweat dropped at the shrug but they didn't deny it. They really were all too used to it. They _have_ fought a war against the Uchiha, who were at one point lead by Madara himself. "And I never liked the Hyuuga. Arrogant bastards that claim to be all geniuses."

"That's what we say for our clan, too." Shisui couldn't help but add, ignoring the heated glare he got from his older cousin and ancestor.

"Only it's true for the Uchiha," Madara replied, but Obito turned his focus back to the original discussion. The reason as to why Madara won't fight Itachi. "I already said that it was because he has a younger brother."

"It's Sasuke." Was the deadpan reply which Madara waved away.

"Even more reason not to fight him and possibly hurt him."

"Why?"

"Because Sasuke reminds me of my own younger brother, Izuna. And I would rather not see someone looking like Izuna in pain."

"You _stabbed_ him through the _heart_!" Itachi twitched at hearing this and Obito swore when he saw the Totsuka sword lifting up. They were so screwed.

"Yeah, but his Mangekyo is different than Izuna's so I just focused on his eyes." The man sighed. "I miss my little brother."

"Don't worry." The younger of the two said with resignation in his voice. He was staring at the very pissed off, overprotective older brother known as Uchiha Itachi. "I have a feeling you'll be seeing him soon enough." Madara followed his line of sight and almost gulped when he saw that Itachi had murder in his eyes. "As soon as Itachi is through with us."

"Oh, no, Obito." The ash haired young man said with a scary smirk that promised pain. The man in question gulped in fear and dread. " _I_ won't do anything to _you_." Obito wondered if he should feel relieved or even more dreadful at that. Itachi's smirk was now a smile far scarier than any glare any Uchiha had ever formed. " _She'll_ deal with you."

And before Obito could say anything about that, a familiar if older sounding voice startled Minato, Obito and Kakashi. "Uchiha Obito, just what the _hell_ do you think you're doing!?"

The three above mentioned males turned around to stare at the fuming, petite brunette standing atop Gamabunta with a very much alive Jiraiya (who was looking at Gamakachi with interest and waving to a stunned Tsunade and an equally perplexed Orochimaru who was helping the Five Kage), her arms on her shapely hips and her eyes burning in a way only Kushina's had when she stared at the three of them with murder in mind because of something stupid they had done.

"R-Rin?!" The lovesick man asked in an uncomfortably high voice for a grown male. Kakashi actually winced in sympathy for him. More so because Rin seemed to have spent the past two decades with Kushina-san than anything else. If Rin was anything like Naruto's mother, Obito's voice will be hitting new hights in a few moments. "H-how are you-?"

"Itachi-san was nice enough to give me a second chance at life." The short haired girl huffed as she crossed her arms. "And now I find out it was because you got mixed up with the wrong crowd? We'll be having _words_ , mister."

"Yes, Rin." The rest of Team Minato sweat dropped as Obito left Madara standing high and dry, dejectedly walking over to the giant toad. Said man blinked as he found himself facing the older brother of the teen he had stabbed through the heart with his own hands.

"I said I don't want to fight you." Madara didn't know much about Uchiha Itachi, but he _did_ know that the man was a pacifist. At the chance of solving a problem without having to fight, Itachi would grab it and hold on to it with all of his might. However, it would seem he had spent too many years in Kisame's presence.

"Kisame," said blue man perked up at the call and moved closer to his partner. "I'm leaving Zetsu to you guys. I'll deal with Madara."

The ancient Uchiha felt dread pull in his stomach like lead and even his connection to Juubi didn't make him feel comfortable enough in the fight that will without a doubt follow.

Needless to say, Hagoromo's backup plan worked like a dream.

OWARI

 **A/N: Happy Valentines Day!**


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